Child Safety Seats and Travel

We are taking our 3-year-old toddler on her first airplane ride and a post-Xmas vacation. We will be flying commercial (the private jet is having repairs done) and we will likely do at least a bit of driving at our destination.

I suppose we could rip our car seat out of the car, but that seems kind of impractical and huge. I've even heard of issues with these seats going in to economy class seats (the private jet repairs are expensive). I think she's big enough to go in some of the boosters that are available and it seems like a lighter way to travel, but I'm just not sure what to do.

i never bring a car seat on a plane. we have our non lap child children sit in the regular airplane seat. i see no reason to go through the hassle of schlepping the car seat through the airport and on the plane.

as to driving at destination point, we either check our car seat with the luggage and pick it from baggage claim, or rent/borrow one from our destination place.

I was just about to suggest the very same thing. It doesn't mitigate the issue with yanking the seat out of your car, but I have faith in your car seat skills, Douglas.

MrsG used the same setup with she flew with LowerCaseG earlier this year, and she was very happy with it. You just roll the kiddo around in the seat and gate check everything when it's time to board. They make a cover for the seat that you put on when you check it. I can't recall the name, but I know she bought it on Amazon.

if you are flying in the US, you can rest a car with a car seat. then don't bother. if you are going to the 3rd world, take everything. we took car seats for our kids when we traveled, we sent them as baggage. if you are going to the 3rd world, take everything that you possibly could need, inlcuding diapers. good luck.